Point-Of-Sale System Automated Testing

1. A point-of-sale (POS) testing system for testing a POS computing device, the system comprising: a keyboard circuit board for a POS keyboard coupled to the POS computing device, the keyboard circuit board configured to receive signals upon actuation of one or more of a plurality of keys of the POS keyboard and send the signals to the POS computing device to cause the POS computing device to perform corresponding operations; a testing circuit board removably connected to the keyboard circuit board and having input pins, output pins, and an array of electrical switches mounted thereto, the number of input pins exceeding the number of output pins, the testing circuit board being customized such that predetermined arrangements of electrical switches correspond to predetermined keys of the POS keyboard, the electrical switches comprising transistors; a first control circuit coupled to the array of electrical switches and configured to control operation thereof, the first control circuit comprising a microcontroller configured to trigger the predetermined arrangements of electrical switches; a second control circuit coupled to the first control circuit and configured to execute a testing program, wherein execution of the testing program is configured to cause the first control circuit to selectively activate one or more of the electrical switches in accordance with a testing routine to output electrical signals to the keyboard circuit board which simulates actuation of individual ones of the plurality of keys without actual actuation of the plurality of keys such that the keyboard circuit board outputs signaling to the POS computing device to perform the corresponding operations; wherein the number of electrical switches exceeds the number of output pins and an arrangement of at least one electrical switch corresponds to each output pin in a predetermined manner; wherein the testing system utilizes multiplexing to send at least some signals from the electrical switches through the corresponding output pins to the keyboard circuit board.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a number of the plurality of electrical switches and a number of the plurality of keys have a 1:1 ratio.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first control circuit is mounted to the testing circuit board.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the keyboard circuit board comprises a proprietary input and the output pins of the testing circuit board are configured to couple to the proprietary input.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a verification assembly configured to monitor the operation of the POS computing device to confirm that the simulated actuation of the individual ones of the plurality of keys caused the POS computing device to perform the corresponding operations.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the verification assembly comprises: a monitor coupled to the POS computing device; an electronic imager oriented to capture video or images of a display on the monitor; and a third control circuit configured to compare the video or images of the display on the monitor with video or images of expected displays stored in a storage device; wherein the third control circuit is configured to compare the display on the monitor after each of the corresponding operations to the expected displays.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the testing program executes a plurality of routines, each of the plurality of routines configured to output a series of signals to the second control circuit, the series of signals corresponding to multiple key manipulations of the plurality of keys of the POS keyboard and/or user actions of the POS computing device such that the POS computing device performs a given function.

8. A method for testing a point-of-sale (POS) system including a POS computing device and a POS keyboard coupled to the POS computing device, the POS keyboard having a plurality of keys and a keyboard circuit board configured to receive signals upon actuation of one or more of the plurality of keys and send the signals to the POS computing device to cause the POS computing device to perform corresponding operations, the method comprising: running a testing program on a first control circuit; operating a second control circuit connected to the first control circuit in accordance with the testing program to selectively activate one or more electrical switches of an array of electrical switches mounted to a testing circuit board in accordance with a testing routine, the testing circuit board having input pins and output pins, the number of input pins exceeding the number of output pins, the testing circuit board being customized such that predetermined arrangements of electrical switches correspond to predetermined keys of the POS keyboard, the electrical switches comprising transistors; the second control circuit comprising a microcontroller configured to trigger the predetermined arrangements of electrical switches; sending electrical signals from the one or more electrical switches to the keyboard circuit board connected to the testing circuit board in response to receiving the signals from the second control circuit, the electrical signals configured to simulate actuation of individual ones of the plurality of keys without actual actuation thereof; sending signaling from the keyboard circuit board to the POS computing device to perform the corresponding operations in response to receiving the electrical signals from the one or more electrical switches; the number of electrical switches exceeding the number of output pins and an arrangement of at least one electrical switch corresponding to each output pin in a predetermined manner; utilizing multiplexing to send at least some signals from the electrical switches through the corresponding output pins to the keyboard circuit board to the POS computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein operating the second control circuit to selectively activate the one or more electrical switches comprises operating the second control circuit to activate individual electrical switches of the array of electrical switches, each individual electrical switch corresponding to one of the plurality of keys.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein activating the one or more electrical switches comprises sending signals through input pins mounted to the testing circuit board; and wherein sending electrical signals from the one or more electrical switches to the keyboard circuit board comprises sending the electrical signals through the output pins mounted to the testing circuit board.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising monitoring the operation of the POS computing device with a verification assembly to confirm that the simulated actuation of the individual ones of the plurality of keys caused the POS computing device to perform the corresponding operations.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: coupling a monitor to the POS computing device; orienting an electronic imager to capture video or images of a display on the monitor; and by a third control circuit, comparing the video or images of the display on the monitor with video or images of expected displays stored in a storage device; wherein the third control circuit is configured to compare the display on the monitor after each of the corresponding operations to the expected displays.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein running the testing program comprises executing a plurality of routines, each of the plurality of routines configured to output a series of signals to the second control circuit, the series of signals corresponding to multiple key manipulations of the plurality of keys of the POS keyboard and/or user actions of the POS computing device such that the POS computing device performs a given function.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein the verification assembly comprises: a screen capture of images or video output during the testing routine; and a third control circuit configured to compare the video or images output during the testing routine with video or images of expected output stored in a storage device; wherein the third control circuit is configured to compare the video or images output during the testing routine after each of the corresponding operations to the video or images of expected output.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a payment interface coupled to the POS computing device; and a robot configured to enter credit or debit card information, a personal identification number, or a signature at the payment interface.